Arch support



Dafn v26, 1944; J, GERBER 2,366,096

ARCH SUPPORT- Filed Jan. 22, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

Gefbef WM L @6- 6` `Patented Dec. 26,` 41944 6 "UNITED l-STATES" PATENT F 6 6 l" 66 l 6 f `62,366,o96" 6 6 6 ,i 6

ARCH ,5611217031: h h miek Gurnee, chimgq, 111. h h 6 6V `Application,January 22, 1944,:'1Sea118l7ol519219 8`Clams. `(Gl. h

the human foot and, more particularly, `to 6Aa flexible .arch support .capable Vof conforming to the shape of the shoe randof enabling the foot to conform to the 6-.support without the usual 1.

discomfort .resulting 6from the 6breaking in 6 This inventonyrelateslto an archsuppol't for 6 66illustrated is .forihelight foot and, except for shape, is.of66.thesa1`neconstruction as the arch support .for ,the.lef.tfoot.6 .The .arch support may .befrriadeV up l.of 6divo ,parts.: .a 6top layer ISD, .a bot- I.torn 6.layer lil, .ametatarsal ,supporting pad i4, 6a

.longitudinal main .archsupportpiece "|36 and an intermediate 6cushioning ilayerll. The bottom .layer may heeliminated,` .if ,cliesi1".e.d,` although `this 6is not preferred. h 6 6 i i Top layer .ldsiapieceof smooth, 'pliablelea'thi 46er 6having its .margins shaped" .to outline 6a .heel

.ientlysupport thisweight, andisso designed that when :the Weight of the person is on the 66heel .portion of `the support 6Athe .pressure on that` portion-of the support istransmitted to the forward 6 part vthereof and, in time, gradually yand continuously `causes the longitudinal arch `of the .supportato .raise to .theright heightifor the wear- ,er with rconsequentelimination of the fbreakung in gpain. 6 6 6 The foregoing66feature of `myparchlsupport is '.'madeipossible by .a novel, 6iexible, hinge-'like conynection lbetween .the-metatarsal and longitudinal :arch supports fof .theaarch supporter which allows the .arch Vto immediatelyadjust itself to .the shoe aand =to "the 6individual :arch .lines of theA shoe 6 This :hinge-.like `connection makesthe 6.supporter selfvadjustable, eliminating al1 strain A6ori-.the-shoe,:adding 6tothe comfort of thewear- 66er allowing it lto be worn comfortably atall i times 6in yvarious Ashapes66and6 styles ofshoe.` By `virtue @of ,the Jelimination of .fstrain Aon the shoe `tbyzthe arch support and the self-adjustmentfeature, :theshoe wears better; like y:the shoe on a 6 normal, healthy foot.

6 Fig. .3 :is a `partially exploded view, Ain '1ongi tudinalsectiom showing the :relationship .of the parts makingup thefarchsupport; 6

:portfwith the :bottom 64layer thereof .ibroken away portion 20, ,a frontportiori 22 andan outwardly .curved 6portion .between .the heel land front por.

tions, .forming Whnin position Iinthe shoe an upturned .winglike .portion 24 which is .designed 66to iititheinnerside.ofthe arch. 1..Bottom1ayer 6 conyentionally shaped,.being thickjintlne center 6 t06e1i1ninate6unnecessary fand undesirableproe 6 tuberancesin thearchsupport. Cushioning lay-v to ifuzither #show ithe .relationship of fthe parts; i

fand 6 rlFig. .5 sis la transverse section thereof 6 taken `along .thedine C15-i5 ofuFig.' i1. 6 i

H 66siReierring ato drawing, tthe arch :support 6555 6 .t2'1is similarly shaped and also `flexible and is, `6preferably6,.made o'flcrepe'A rubber ,stock 6 to pro- `viole 6a Mslip-proofi6botto1ri. It may, however, be

madeifrom lother flexiblematerialysuch Vas 16the661eatler6o the top layer, kwith or without a A,coating of rubberor .otherslip-fproof material on the .bottom thereof.;

.Metatarsal 6lSufppcrli;ing ,pad :L4 `is made of sponge rubber` or other resilient material andis 6 portion and ,taperedtoward 6.the margins The mainarch Support piece 6.1l66is6made of suitable .materia1.6such6.as leatherfthin. and wafer-like in form,` but 66thick enoughgto .be somewhat stiff,

;yet flexible. @This ,pieceiis ,shaped'.to6,provide a support 6.for the .longitudinal .auch .of `the foot and .thelperipheralmargin thereof skived -thin er f8 is made of suitable material such as sponge rubber and6-is6shaped-.to provideaheel portion 6 266 tand `.a :front/.portion .28, fbifurcated as fat 3.0 to providedegsl, 634 whichiare adapted tostrad- .dle stile :metatarsal .pad `.to .a limited fextent, ,as

shown, 6Theowerealldimensions of layerfl A6are 66 6.smal-lerthan .those 6of 66.the topand bottom f layers so -thatdnthe nal assembly of the'xpartsthe Lmargmaltportions of the .topand bottoinlayers l0 'fand `|2 l-extend .beyond .the .cushioning layer .to provide .-6fiexible, .lateral 6.edges for .the arch support,` :thereby .enabling 66 the .support 6.to ,oon-

.-andaaportioniof .cushioning layer 66|.8 beyond the bifurcation are skired-ato ,eliminateridges 66at ,this

portiomofthefarchfsupport.6 i 6 6 The parts may be assembled ;and:.se.cured .to each other to `form 6 an integral structure by :means of rubber i or other vcement, as .followsz The xmetatarsal supporting ,pad lis first cemented to Vthe underside of the top layer I at the metatarsal region thereof and the cushioning `layer I8 is next cemented to the same side of this layer. In cementing layer I8 to layer I0 care should be exercised to position the former so that the fork of the bifurcation and the inner edges of legs 32 and 34 are contiguous with the margin of the metatarsal button, and the rest of layer I8 centered with respect to the margins .of layer It) so that the margins of the latter overlap the margins of the former. Main arch piece I5, except for the forward end 36 thereof, is

now' cemented to layer I8 somewhat along the inner sideof this layer and in the region which is below the longitudinal arch of the foot, with the forward end overlapping the rear portion 38 of the metatarsal pad.A End 36 is then ce- Y flexible edge, designated as 42,*extends the rest of the way around the arch support and because of the flexibility of this edge the arch support conforms readily to anystyle of shoe.

Itis manifest from the foregoing that at the juncture 44 of the fork of the bifurcation of layer I8 and the edge of the metatarsal pad there is providedfa hinge-like joint which enables the arch support to readilyfit the shoe and allows the longitudinal arch of the support to raise when the weight of the wearer is on thesupport. The end 36 of the main arch support piece I6 bridges the trough'formed by the contiguous skived` edges of the cushioningv layer I8 and the metatarsal pad, thereby levelling out this depression' and at the same time strengthening the hinge-like joint. A*

The rubber cushioning layer I8" functions as a shock absorber and provides support and balance to the cuboid region of the foot. The combinationiof this 'layer with Athe main arch support piece I6 and themetatarsal pad, in the manner described, gives'the human foot arch not only a' brace-like support, vbut'a more natural, flexible support and stren-gthener which enables the wearer to wear the supports without suffering the usual discomfort of thek breaking in.

period.

While I have described myinvention in connection with the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that it is not to be construedas limited to this embodiment or to the details thereof since many changes in these details and in the nature of the materials used in making my arch support may be varied without departing' from the scope of the invention defined inthe appended claims. for example, the cushioning layer and the metatarsal pad may be formed as a single unitary structure. Neither is my invention to be limited to the method Iof making the arch support as described herein since changes in this method maybe readily made as'will be evident to a skilled worker in the art; f Y

1. A flexible archisuppo'rt comprising a layer of pliable material'shaped to -conform to the y Thus,

contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to said layer at the metatarsal region thereof, a cushioning member also secured to said layer, said cushioning member extending rearwardly only from said metatarsal pad towards the extremity of said layer to under-lie the heel region and longitudinal arch region of said layer, and

forming with the metatarsal pad a hinge-like joint, and a stiff, yet flexible main arch support piece secured to said member beneath the longitudinal mainarch region of said layer.

2. A flexible arch support comprising a layer of pliable material shaped to conform to the contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to said layer at the metatarsal region thereof, a cushioning member secured to said layer at the longitudinal main arch, cuboid and heel regions of said layer, a portion of the forward extremity of said member being adjacent to the rear edge of said metatarsal pad to provide therebetween a hinge-like joint, and a still, yet flexible main arch support piece bridging said joint and extending rearwardly to Aunder-lie the longitudinal main arch region of said layer.

3. A flexible arch support comprising a layer of pliable material shaped to conform to the contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to said layer at the metatarsal region thereof, a cushioning member secured to said layer at the longitudinal main arch, cuboid and heel regions' of said layer, a portion of the forward extremity of said member'being adjacent to the rear edge of saidmetatarsal pad to provide therebetween a hinge-like joint, and a stiff, yet flexible main arch support piece bridging said joint and extending rearwardly to under-lie the longitudinal main arch region of said layer, the forward eX- tremity of said piece over-lapping the rear portion of said metatarsal pad and being secured thereto, and the remainder of saidpiece being secured to said cushioning member. f

4. A flexible arch support comprising a layer of pliable material shaped to conform to the contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to said layer at the metatarsal region thereof, a cushioning member secured to said layer at the longitudinal main arch, cuboid and heel regions of said` layer, the forward portion of said member being bifurcated to provide legs which straddle va portion of said metatarsal pad and the fork of said `bifurcation being adjacent to the rear edge of said metatarsal pad to provide therebetween a hinge-like joint, and a stiff, yet flexible main arch support `piece bridging said joint and extending rearwardly to under-lie the longitul dinal main arch region of said layer, the forward extremity of said piece over-lapping the rear portion of said metatarsal pad and Ibeing secured thereto, and the remainder of saidpiece being secured to said cushioning member.

5. A flexible arch support comprising a layer of pliable material shaped to conform to the contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to. said layer at the metatarsal region thereof, a cushioning member secured to` said layer at the longitudinal main arch, cuboid and heel regions of said layer,` the forward portion of said member being bifurcatedto provide legs which straddle a portion of said metatarsal pad and the fork of said bifurcation being adjacent to the rear edge of said metatarsal pad to provide therebetween a hinge-like'joint, a still, yet flexible main arch support piece bridging said joint and extending rearwardly to under-.lie the longitudinal ,main arch region of said layer, theforward exgoing elements and secured thereto.

tion of said metatarsal pad and beingsecured thereto, and the remainder of said piecebeing` secured to said cushioning member, anda layer` of pliable material of the same shape and dimensions as the other `layer overlying the :fore-4 6. A flexible arch. supportI comprising a layer of pliable material shaped to conform tothe contour of a foot, a metatarsal pad secured to said layer at the metatarsal region thereof,` a cushioning member secured to said layer at the longitudinal main arch, cuboid and heel regions of i said layer, the forward portion of said member being bifurcated to provide legs which straddle a portion of said metatarsal pad and the fork f extending rearwardly to under-lie the longitudi' nal main arch region of said layer, the forward extremity of said piece over-lapping the rear portion of said metatarsal pad and being `secured thereto, and the remainder `of said piece being secured to said cushioning member, and a layer of pliable, slip-proof material of the same shape and dimensions as the otherlayer overlying the foregoing elements and secured thereto.

7. In the flexible arch support set forth in claim 4 wherein the margin of saidlayer extends beyond the margin of said `cushioning member to provide a exibleover-hanging edge.

8. In the exible arch support set forthin claim 5 wherein the margins of `said layers ex-` tend beyond the margin of said cushioning.

member to provide a iiexible over-hanging edge.

i JACK GERBER. 

